Reliability of Functional Balance Tests and Their Correlation With Selected Anthropometric Parameters in Children Aged 7-10 Years

Mahboobeh Dehnavi,Mehdi Taghva,Heidar Sadeghi

doi:10.32598/biomechanics.5.4.2

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the reliability of functional balance tests and their correlation with selected anthropometric parameters in children aged 7-10 years. Methods: Participants were 80 students aged 7-10 (40 female and 40 male). Romberg Test and Sharpened Romberg Test were used for assessing static balance, while timed up and go test, tandem walk test, and Y-balance test were used for measuring dynamic balance. Selected anthropometric factors were body height, upper body length, lower body length, Foot length and body mass. Reliability was determined using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and Pearson correlation was used for examining the relationship between balance tests and selected anthropometric parameters at a significance level of P≥0.05. Results: Static balance tests were not reliable, but dynamic tests were reliable. No significant correlation was found between anthropometric parameters and static and dynamic tests (P>0.05); except between lower body length and Y-balance test (r=0.53, P=0.01). Conclusion: It seems that at the age of 7-10 years, static balance tests are affected because the sensory systems related to balance are developing. Therefore, static balance tests, which require weighting of each of these systems with eyes closed and open, are not good criteria for examining the balance of this age group. Hence, it is better to use dynamic balance tests, especially the Y-balance test.

Highlights

P osture control involves controlling the position of the body in space for two purposes: stability and body orientation
This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of selected functional balance tests in children aged 7-10 years, and the relationship between these functional balance tests and selected anthropometric parameters to determine the role of anthropometric parameters on the balance of this age group
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of functional balance tests and the relationship between these tests and selected anthropometric parameters in girls and boys aged 7-10 years

Summary

Introduction

P osture control involves controlling the position of the body in space for two purposes: stability and body orientation. The orientation component is defined as the ability to maintain communication between different parts of the body and between the body and the environment to perform a specific task [1]. The stability component referred to static balance, which defines the ability to maintain the center of gravity within the base of support [2] which is effective in performing many daily activities; it has been found that daily activities require certain levels of balance [3]. One of the key factors in assessing the development of children’s motor skills is balance assessment [2]. Many balance tests are used to differentiate between healthy children and children with developmental disorders. According to the results of these tests, specialists inter-

Methods

Results

Conclusion